Union Seeks Help For Newtown Police

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Some of the police officers who responded to the elementary school shooting in Newtown
are so traumatized they haven't been working, but they have to use sick
time and could soon be at risk of going without a paycheck, a union
official said Wednesday.

The union, Council 15 of the American Federation of State,
County and Municipal Employees, is seeking more generous assistance in
talks with the town's insurer. It is also reaching out to lawmakers and
the governor's office with proposals to modify state law and expand
workers' compensation benefits for officers who witness horrific crime scenes.

"The insurer for the town has
taken a position that these officers are entitled to only what the
statute allows. Unfortunately for these officers, the statute doesn't
allow any benefits," said Eric Brown, an attorney for the union, which represents nearly 4,000 officers around Connecticut.

A gunman shot his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School
on Dec. 14 and slaughtered 20 first-graders and six educators. The
gunman, who had also killed his mother that morning, committed suicide
as police arrived.

Brown said that the number of
officers "critically affected" by the tragedy is below 15 and that a
small number of them are not currently working.

A spokesman for Newtown police, Lt. George Sinko, said the officers are generally holding up well.

"A couple of them are taking it
harder than some of the other ones," he said. "The things that the
officers had to experience underscores the need to support them in every
way possible."

Authorities say the victims were
shot with a high-powered, military-style rifle loaded with ammunition
designed to inflict maximum damage. All the victims had been shot at
least twice, the medical examiner said, and as many as 11 times. Two
victims were pronounced dead at a hospital, while all others died in the
school.

In the past, advocates have
pushed to change the statutes on workers' compensation, which currently
include provisions for officers who suffer mental impairment as the
result of using or being subjected to deadly force — but not for those
who witness crime scenes with mass casualties.

Concerns about the potential cost
to cities and towns have been an obstacle, but the issue is likely to
resurface in the next legislation session, said state Rep. Stephen
Dargan, a West Haven Democrat who is co-chairman of the legislature's
public safety committee.

"We don't want it to be used in
an abusive way, but the circumstances are so horrific in Newtown. We
need to protect those first responders and give them all the help we can
give them," he said.

Officials with the town's insurer, the Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Firefighters who responded to the scene at Sandy Hook
also have described struggling with feelings of frustration and
anguish, but said they were grateful they were spared from witnessing
the scene that greeted police inside the school.

Brown said outside agencies have
been meeting demands for counseling services, but it will be important
to ensure support is in place over the long term. The officers who are
not working also could use up available sick time by early January, he
said.

Police have yet to offer a possible motive for gunman Adam Lanza's rampage.

Expansive memorials throughout
the small New England town have become gathering points for residents
and visitors alike. A steady stream of well-wishers have taken pictures,
dropped off toys and fought back tears at a huge sidewalk memorial in
the center of Newtown's Sandy Hook section that is filled with stuffed
animals, poems, flowers, posters and cards.

Newtown officials plan to convert
into a memorial the countless mementos paying tribute to the
schoolhouse victims. Thousands of flowers, letters, signs, photos,
candles, teddy bears and other items at sites around town will be turned
into soil and blocks to be used in a memorial, The News Times in nearby
Danbury reported.

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SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. - A two-month investigation into criminal activity at the Red Top Motel in Spokane Valley resulted in a massive raid and the arrest of 8 people early Tuesday morning. The Red Top Motel has had more than 100 calls for service since the beginning of the year, with many of those calls resulting in the arrest of known criminals who commonly traffic in drugs and stolen property.

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